Changing Pattern of Rice Production Systems and Technology in Assam: A spatio-temporal analysis of performance and prospects

This policy paper is based on a research study on rice production system in Assam carried out by team of researchers from Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (NCAP), New Delhi, and International Rice Research Institute, Manila, Philippines. The project was implemented from NCAP and coordinated by Dr. B.C. Barah. Dr. Barah has singnificantly contributed to prepare this Policy Paper from the project report. I thank him for this effort. The paper analyses dynamics of rice production system and technology which dominates economy of the state of Assam. The authors have followed the approach of using macro data at state and district level and grassroots data at farm household level. This helped them in explaining changes in rice area, production and productivity and other socio economic variables in terms of the changes and undercurrents seen at the ground level. Despite its dominance rice cultivation is found to be inadequate to meet various household requirements. This underscores the need for raising productivity and production of rice and also diversification of some area towards high value alternatives. The paper indicates technological, policy and infrastructural interventions for different district and typologies. Agricultural R & D is found to be in a state of neglect in the state. The state is reported to best exemplify the vicious cycle of low productivity leading to low agricultural income which leaves low or no resources for private investments, reinforcing low productivity. The paper makes general and specific recommendation to raise rice output and to ameliorate economic conditions of farmers, particularly of small and marginal one who forms overwhelming majority of cultivators in the state of Assam. I hope the study would fill the pending gap to understand and address causes for low growth in rice production and farmers’ income in Assam. I appreciate the efforts put up by Dr. B.C. Bhowmick, Dr. B.C.Barah, Dr. Sushil Pandey and Dr. Nilotpal Barthakur to prepare this paper.